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Category Archives: connected vehicles
Putin’s War Clouds BMW Group Media Day
Unaddressed in formal statements were two key concerns for the German auto industry – Germany’s over-dependence on Russian natural gas, and it’s dealings with totalitarian communist states including China where BMW and other German makers, suppliers and brands have extensive holdings – Audi, Daimler, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, among others. Continue reading
Cruise CEO – It Will Be Hard to Sell a Car That Isn’t Self-Driving
The challenges are the cost of the technology that works and customer satisfaction – make the riders happy. Cruise is 6 weeks into dozens of driverless vehicles on the roads. The technology is scalable from two cities, to three, to 20 to… exponential growth. Hence the capital market interests. Continue reading
Ford Pro Adds Charging Hardware for Commercial EV Clients
“We are investing heavily in products and services to help commercial customers accelerate into an electric future, which means helping to ensure our hardware and software can plug and play with other manufacturers, as we know many customers operate mixed-make fleets,” said Ted Cannis, Ford Pro CEO. “These chargers can be completely customized to unique commercial environments and can work even better when paired together with Ford Pro electric vehicles and Telematics to enable OEM-grade data transparency.” Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, electric vehicles
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Ken Zino
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PG&E and GM to Test EVs as Power Source when Grid Fails
EVs, of course, play a critical role in achieving California’s goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and already provide customers with many benefits. Bidirectional charging capabilities add even further value by improving electric resiliency and reliability. PG&E, of course, is beleaguered by civil and criminal lawsuits for its corporate actions and neglect that, among other things, ignited the deadly 2018 Camp Fire. In 2020, PG&E pled guilty to 84 felony counts of involuntary manslaughter, the largest homicide ever legally attributed to a United States corporation. Continue reading
Honda Expands Work with Renesas Electronics for ADAS
Now Honda has selected R-Car and RH850 for use in the Honda SENSING 360 omnidirectional safety and driver assistance system, which builds on the knowledge and expertise gained through research and development work on the earlier technology. The first automobile model equipped with Honda SENSING 360 is scheduled for release in China in 2022, with adoption in a broader range of models to follow. Continue reading
Toyota Expands Customer Data Use for Insurance Savings
CAS does business with insurance carriers to provide customers with the ability to use their driving data to price their insurance “more accurately.” Drivers of Toyota vehicles interested in receiving potential insurance savings can opt in to Insure Connect, Toyota’s latest connected service. The company is also focused on creating a future of safer roads and improved driving conditions. Continue reading
Audi of America, Verizon to bring 5G to Vehicle Line
Verizon is also linking with all three major cloud providers for mobile edge compute services, which can be used to develop innovative safety and autonomous driving features. Mobile edge computing with 5G connectivity provides the low latency needed for urgent C-V2X communications, such as the ability for vehicles to communicate with other vehicles, connected infrastructure, and devices in the environment around them in near real-time. Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, electronics, mobility company
Tagged 5G, Audi of America, auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, C-V2X, Ken Zino, Verizon
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Honda Motor to Make Sweeping Organizational Changes in April to Survive and Sustain Itself as a Mobility Company
Translation: The changes are needed to survive the electrification business, new business, and combined solution business, which will require bolstering the development of software, as well as the strengthening the development of core electrification technologies. Continue reading
Connected Cars – State Farm and Ford to Offer UBI Coverage
Eligible 2020 Model Year and newer connected Ford and Lincoln vehicles, with the consent of the owner, can share information directly with State Farm to enable Drive Safe & Save. The more customers improve their driving behaviors, the greater the insurance discount they may obtain, the companies claim. Continue reading
Ford Pro Using Lightning EVs in Pilot Farming Study
Winegrowers rely daily on their trucks to haul fertilizer and fuel tanks, water and portable bathrooms. Some vehicles log upward of 50,000 miles a year, traveling between properties from Cloverdale to Petaluma. Operating these vehicles and maintaining them, are among an organization’s largest expenses. At Dutton Ranch, which runs a fleet of ~70 work vehicles, fuel costs average $5,000 per month. The prospect of reducing that monthly expense is critical to operations moving forward. Electric vehicles, coupled with the solar power that many Sonoma County ranches already generate and store, represent another way to help offset rising fuel costs. Large Ford pickup trucks and SUVs of course consume enormous amounts of fossil fuels each day. Continue reading
Posted in connected vehicles, electric vehicles, energy, environment
Tagged auto industry commentary, autoinformed.com, Bevill Vineyard Management, Build Back Better Act Decreases Budget Deficit, Dutton Ranch, E-Transit, F-150 Lightning, Ford Pro, Ken Zino, Sonoma County, Vino Farms, Winegrowers
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Software – Honda Invests in US-based Helm.ai
Helm.ai is an artificial intelligence software startup company established in November 2016. Honda and Helm.ai have been working in together since 2019 through Honda Xcelerator*3, described as a global open innovation program of Honda. Continue reading
Amazon and Stellantis to Connect Vehicles to Digital Services
The STLA SmartCockpit platform will use Amazon products that are purpose-built for vehicles, it’s claimed. Stellantis will produce custom, brand and vehicle-specific capabilities. The software will offer services through an app store displayed through an “adaptive user interface design that presents timely, relevant information and features suited to each occupant’s individual needs and preferences.” In other words, you will be tracked. What happens to your personal information – how it is used, sold or resold or given to government entities – was not disclosed in the announcement. Continue reading
Washington Diddles. India Puts Billions into Securing EV Jobs
This is not an isolated occurrence. Electric vehicles, the so-called hydrogen economy and connected cars are the future of the planet and high paying employment. Virtually all major industrial nations are promoting policies and incentives to become major forces where no automaker dares to go alone. Except the dis-United States it seems. Even Senator Manchin’s next Maserati that he drives to his yacht will likely be an EV. Built where? The question facing Washington politicians of his ilk is simple: Do you care about the people in your district? Continue reading
Autonomous – GM Ups Stake in Cruise and Buys out Softbank
Cruise has made self-driving cars a reality and is arguably the leader on the pathway to commercial autonomous ridesharing and delivery, creating significant value for both GM shareholders and Cruise’s minority shareholders. Since Cruise was founded in 2013, it has run more than 2 million autonomous miles in California. It has 300+ all-electric AVs on roads in San Francisco and Phoenix. Funding is more than $9 billion with ~1900 employees, with a market valuation of, gulp, +$30 billion. Continue reading →